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Guided Reading & Analysis: Chapter 19-Islamic Gunpowder Empires

Notes page 353-359 Analysis

Gunpowder empires:
KEY CONCEPT
State Consolidation Which 3 empires are categorized as “gunpowder” empires?
and Imperial
Expansion Despite both being land-based empires how was Russia different than the What long term consequence does that difference
gunpowder empires? make?
II. Imperial
expansion relied on
5 characteristics shared by Gunpowder empires?
the increased use of
gunpowder, cannons, 1.
2.
and armed trade to 3.
establish large 4.
5.
empires in both
hemispheres.
Who was Tamerlane and where did his empire emerge from?

What was the primary reason Tamerlane and the other empires were able to
expand?

Besides focusing on the expansion of military what else did the gunpowder How would this legitimize their power in similar ways that
empires focus on? Peter the Great did?

What led to the fall of Tamerlane’s empire?

Where was the Ottoman empire centered out of? How long did it last?

What city did Mehmed II conquer in order to establish the Ottoman empire? Why was its’ location a key factor in empire building?

What role did gunpowder play in its defeat?

KEY CONCEPT What did he change the name of that city to?
State Consolidation
and Imperial
Expansion
What areas did he expand into?
II. Rulers used a Why did they recruit from conquered Christian
territories?
variety of methods to
legitimize and What was the devshirme? Why was it implemented?
consolidate their
power.
Why might the janissaries cause problems to Ottoman
Who were the janissaries? leaders later?
 KEY CONCEPT New What areas did Suleiman I expand into? How would these reforms help unify his empire?
Forms of Social
Organization and Modes
of Production Why was he given the name of “lawgiver”?

I. Traditional peasant How does this tribute system compare to the tribute
agriculture increased and system under the Golden Horde?
changed, plantations How did the economy and trade increase under his rule?
expanded, and demand for
labor increased. These
changes both fed and
responded to growing How did the ottomans pay for such a large army? How did this effect the peasants?
global demand for raw
materials and finished
products.
How did coffee houses emerge under the Ottoman empire? Where did coffee
originate?
Why did the Ottomans start to lose their trade
advantages by the 16th century?
Describe the social structure under the Ottomans:
(draw a pyramid and identify)

Describe gender roles:

What does harem politics refer to?

The large slave class was comprised of people from:

What religious groups lived in the Ottoman empire?

Why do you think the Ottomans allowed those groups to

stay?
Who fought in the Battle of Lepanto? What was the outcome?

Identify changes under the Ottoman empire: Why is this a turning point in Ottoman history? Why do
they get the nickname “sick man of Europe”?

Identify continuities under the Ottoman empire:

Give examples of a cultural “golden age” under the Ottoman empire:

Safavid & Mughal Empires

Key Concepts & Pages 359-362 Analysis
Main Ideas
What two disadvantages did the Safavid empire have?
1.
KEY CONCEPT
2.
State
Consolidation Who started the Safavid empire and how did it originate?

and Imperial
Expansion What is a shah?

What religion did he use to legitimize his power? What is the long term legacy of Ismail following this
religion?

II.Imperial As a result of this who was a frequent rival of the Safavid?

expansion relied What advantages did their rival have over them?
on the increased How did Shah Abbas build up his empire?
use of
gunpowder,
How is this similar to how the Ottomans built up their army? In what ways is he similar to Peter the Great?
cannons, and
armed trade to
establish large
Why would the Safavid be considered a theocracy?
empires in both
hemispheres. How does this compare to Istanbul?

Describe the significance of Isfahan:

What connection began between the British and Iran?

KEY
CONCEPT How does this compare/contrast to the fall of the
What led to the decline of the Safavid empire? Ottoman empire?
State
Consolidation
and Imperial
Expansion
Rulers used a
Describe the role of women under the Safavid:
variety of
methods to
legitimize and
consolidate their
power. Who was Akbar and what empire did he lead? What time period?

What capital did he establish?

Describe the government system he implemented: How is this evidence of an established bureaucracy?

Zamindars: Why did the Zamindars lead to increased

government corruption?

What was the religious policy under Akbar? What religions existed in his empire?
Why did he adopt this policy?

What reforms did he create? How is this similar to Ottoman religious policies?
.

Din-i-llahi:

Who built the Taj Mahal and why? Why would they focus on geometric designs and not
people like in the European Renaissance?

What evidence of a “golden period” under the Mughal empire exists?

What challenges did Shah Jahan’s son Aurangzeb face?

How did that policy lead to more instability?

What new religious policy did he institute?

Who did this decline lead the Mughals vulnerable to and why?

Summarize the factors that led to the decline of the Gunpowder empires

The term “Gunpowder Empires” was coined by marshall G.S. Hodgson in the 1970’s
Historical to refer to the large land empires of Southwestern and South Asia that flourished
Perspectives: Why during the period from 1450-1750
did the Islamic Explain two reasons for the decline of the
Gunpowder Gunpowder empires? Support with evidence
Trade and the Rise of Empires: As described by Kenneth Pomeranz and Steven for both
empires rise and Topik in their 2005 book “The World that Trade Created”, the empires became part of
decline? the growing global economy of the period. These authors, taking economic and
social perspectives, used coffee as one example of the international character of
consumer goods: “Coffee’s role in sociability and prestige in Europe was enhanced
by the arrival of emissaries of the Ottoman sultan in France and Austria in 1665-
1666 who poured the exotic liquor for their aristocratic European guests during
extravagant soirees.”

Reasons for Decline: However, the prosperity achieved by the Gunpowder Empires
was not enough to sustain their independence indefinitely. Historians have given
various reasons for their declines, but most fall into three categories:
1. Ineffectiveness
2. Intolerance of minorities
3. Failure to modernize.

One reviewer summarized historian Vladimir Minorsky’s reasons for the decline of
the Safavid Empire:
1. decline of theocratic ideology
2. opposition between old and new elements in the military class
3. disturbance in equilibrium among the service classes, which lost interest in the
cause they were supporting
4. the shadow of government represented by the harem
5. degeneration of the dynasty as a result of it’s insular nature

Military weakness: William McNeil pointed out that rulers and military administrators
did not try to keep up with “subsequent European innovations in military and naval
matters, leaving them woefully exposed to attack.” McNeill reminded his readers that
the Ottoman’s guns were able to defeat their Islamic rivals, the Safavids because
“until about 1600, the Ottoman army remained technically and in every way in the
very forefront of military proficiency.” Nevertheless after the time of Sueliman,
leaders did not themselves lead their men in battle and military discipline declined at
the same time that efficiency and technology began to lag behind Western Europe

Tolerance and Intolerance: A recent work by Amy Chua, suggested a somewhat

different reason for the eventual failure of the Gunpowder Empires. Her thesis was
that intolerance ultimately became an obstacle to retaining great power. She
suggested that the empires were successful in holding their power when they were at
their most religiously and ethnically tolerant. This thesis can be used to explain why
the Ottoman empire, with its relative tolerance, outlived the more conservative
Safavid and Mughal empires.